The top cyberspace authority in China has recently drafted new regulations that would punish individuals and firms that use or offer VPN services. In other words, the government will be cracking down harder on those that try to scale the “Great Firewall.”

According to an SCMP report, the latest move from the government is an attempt to further boost its control over the internet. This would likely also serve as a warning to many internet based services/businesses. The newly drafted regulations were proposed last weekend might still be changed after public consultation. Although, it marks one of the strictest attempt at punishing virtual private network (VPN) services. For those unaware, a VPN service basically helps users avoid the Chinese firewall by redirecting its traffic through a remote server.

Meaning, this lets people bypass the firewall and access content online, which otherwise would be restricted. The new rules titled “Network Data Security Management Regulations” was proposed by the Cyberspace Administration of China and it states that no individual or organization will offer “programs, tools, routes” or other services like internet access, server hosting, technical support, promotion, and more for “penetrating and bypassing the cross-border data security gateway.”

Violating this regulation will have you face up to 10 times the amount of money made from the offence, or up to 500,000 Yuan (roughly 78,500 US Dollars) if you’re in a management position. Additionally, the organization that offers VPN services might even have their business license revoked as well. This draft could even be used to potentially target firms that are based overseas and are operating in China.

RELATED:

• Here’s why China Tablet Market is still growing
• China’s Singles Day – World’s Biggest Shopping Festival Explained
• China’s Geely launches its own Electric truck, rivals Tesla Semi
• Realme achieves its 10 million phone sales target in 2021 ahead of schedule in China

The post China drafts new rules that punish VPN providers that scale the Great Firewall appeared first on Gizmochina.

Signal, one of the most popular encrypted messaging applications, has stopped working in China and is now only accessible using a virtual private network (VPN). It appears that the Chinese government has blocked access to the app.

This is not surprising given that China is known for blocking access to foreign apps and services. Products from tech giants like Google and Facebook are already blocked in China through the so-called Great Firewall.

While the Signal app is still available to download through Apple‘s App Store in China, messages sent by the users don’t go through, suggesting that the access has been blocked by the authorities. Not just the app, it appears that the website has also been banned.

Signal application getting blocked in China highlights the increasing internet censorship. The app got a huge surge in users recently when Facebook updated the privacy policy for WhatsApp and users started shifting towards Signal and Telegram.

It was one of the few Western social networks that remained accessible in China without the use of a virtual private network. But the app seems to have reached a substantial userbase in China and has caught the authorities’ attention.

RELATED: 

• China’s smartphone shipment records a three-fold YoY increase in February 2021
• Messaging apps Telegram and Signal see millions of new downloads after recent WhatsApp privacy policy changes
• Apple patent application reveals a new wearable blood pressure device

The post Signal, an encrypted messaging app, seems to be blocked in China appeared first on Gizmochina.